In German, the word Gastfreundschaft means hospitality for guests or strangers. But ask Sophie von Oertzen, the founder of Sophie Williamson Design, and she’ll tell you it encompasses so much more. Gastfreundschaft isn’t just the idea of hospitality, it’s a feeling you extend to every guest who comes to your home, a sense of warmth, inclusion, and acceptance.

For Sophie, making a house a welcoming home isn’t about following the latest design trends or subscribing to fashion norms. It’s about challenging the status quo and letting your own authentic style shine—an aesthetic that signals to guests that they can do the same. It’s in the warm lighting diffused through a beautiful lampshade or an intricately set table adorned in vibrant colors that welcomes every diner. It’s in the details, the tasteful trim of a pillow or the delicate pattern of a napkin, that shows a guest you care enough about them to share your very best.

Sophie Williamson Design founder Sophie von Oertzen lighting a candle on an antique candelabra
It’s bold. It’s sustainable. It’s never, ever beige. It’s Gastfreundschaft, and you’ll find it in every Sophie Williamson Design collection.

Listen to Sophie Williamson Design on How'd She Do That Podcast—Episode coming soon.